In all their vast openness, the Canadian prairie lands have always attracted me – from the sweeping expanses of yellow canola, to the sparse rolling hills and farmlands fading off into the distance. The way you can stand under a sky, clear blue and cloudless from horizon to horizon – or watch waves of clouds and rain race towards you across the fields.

In sharp contrast to the prairies - the wild, rocky west coast of Canada also inspires me. The sheltered islets and bays of the Gulf Islands – to the misty, storm-tossed sands of Long Beach on the west side of Vancouver Island. Standing on the edge of the country and knowing that, beyond the horizon, the next stop is Japan.